Surgical sponge and handle



g- 1942- H. M. KIRSCHBAUM SURGICAL SPONGE AND HANDLE Filed July 1'7, 1940 INV ENT OR.

Kfrschbam Patented Aug. 25, 1942 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

Surgical sponges are usually formed from gauze folded and refolded to form a pad of the desired thickness. These pads are usually inserted and withdrawn from the body of the patient by a clamping instrument and after use are thrown away. Consequently, large numbers of such sponges are always available and it is sometimes diflicult to keep track of the same. There have been occasions when a pad has been lost and left in the body after the closing of the incision with disastrous results. It is the object of the instant invention to obtain a construction of surgical sponge capable of reuse so that a comparatively small number will be all that is required for a, single operation. It is a further object to form such sponges of material capable of being thoroughly cleansed and sterilized after each use without detriment thereto. With these objects in view, the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved sponge engaged with a handle for convenience in use;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sponge as first cut from the material of which it is formed;

Figure 3 is a plan view of the sponge with a clip attached thereto for detachable engagement with the operating handle;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged section through the clamp on the handle by which the sponge is detachably secured.

My improved surgical sponge is formed of resilient material having the liquid absorbing characteristics of a natural sponge. Preferably, I employ a synthetic sponge material, which has the additional advantages that it is more easily cleansed and sterilized than a natural sponge, and is also less liable to disintegration. Such material is commercially available and is sold as a substitute for natural sponge.

Figure 2 represents a rounded block A of this material. Figures 3 and 4 show a clip B embracing one end of the block, the opposite sides of which are squeezed together and secured by a rivet C. The clip B is preferably formed of sheet metal and has a cylindrical outer portion B for insertion in a cylindrical socket D carried by the handle E. The handle has a threaded portion F engaging a correspondingly threaded aperture in the socket D and the end F of this threaded portion is adapted to engage an aperture B in the cylindrical portion B to retain the latter from disengagement from the socket. Thus, the sponge may be quickly attached to or detached from the handle and may be firmly secured by merely screwing inward the portion F to engage the point F with the aperture B When thus clamped there is no possibility of accidental disengagement.

My improved construction has many advantages over the commonly used surgical sponge. Among these are: First, that it practically eliminates danger of losing a sponge. Second, if the improbable should occur and a sponge is left in the body of a patient this would be instantly detected by an X-ray, as the metallic clip would be clearly visible. Third, cleansing and sterilization of the sponge is easily and quickly effected.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A surgical sponge comprising a. rounded body of synthetic resilient sponge material, a clip embracing opposite sides of a portion of said body and clamping the same therebetween to be securely attached thereto, an operating handle, a socket on said handle for detachably engaging said clip, and means for locking said clip in said socket by the relative rotation of said handle.

2. A surgical sponge comprising a body of synthetic resilient sponge material, a sheet metal clip embracing opposite sides of a portion of said body and tied together to clamp said portion therebetween, said clip having a rounded portion at its outer end, a socket member transversely slidably engaging said rounded portion, and a handle threadedly engaging said socket member and adapted to detachably lock said clip in engagement therewith.

HARRY M. KIRSCHBAUM. 

